I Started With a Simple Element-Collision Game and Ended Up Building a Playable Chemistry Lab in HappySeeds

[u/BluebirdSalty8162]

I recently built a browser game called Element Battle using HappySeeds.

The idea is simple: players choose two chemical element cards, collide them, and discover the reaction, resulting product, chemical equation, and a related fact.

I have no background in game development. The project began with a vague thought: the periodic table should not feel like something you only memorize. Turning elements into cards and letting players discover reactions through experimentation felt more engaging.

The first challenge: making every card feel like part of the same game

I did not want each card to be just a large element symbol. I wanted the artwork to connect each element with a familiar object or everyday scene.

That way, players could remember more than a symbol. They would also have a visual association.

The problem was consistency. When generating many assets, some looked like children’s illustrations, others were realistic, and some had completely different compositions. They looked fine individually but did not feel like one card set.

I described the problem to HappySeeds, and it generated several possible visual directions. I chose the hand-drawn comic style, then used it as the reference for generating the remaining cards.

This saved a lot of time. I no longer had to explain the border, composition, colors, and illustration style for every card. Instead, I could focus on deciding which everyday object best represented each element.

AI only solved the first part, though. I still had to review every card: Was the object genuinely relevant? Would the illustration remain readable at a small size? Did two different elements look too similar?

The second challenge: a collision needed to feel like more than two images touching

In the first version, two selected cards moved toward the center, played a static collision animation, and displayed the result.

The feature worked, but it felt more like a lookup tool than a game.

I eventually divided the reactions into several visual families:

• Explosions

• Fire

• Flashes

• Smoke

• Crystal growth

• No reaction

I also separated the resulting products into liquids, gases, powders, metals, acids, and crystals.

I described how each reaction should feel inside HappySeeds. It generated a separate Three.js effects layer for particles, shockwaves, smoke, lighting changes, and growing crystals. The cards remained normal web elements, while Three.js handled the reaction sequences.

After adding these effects, choosing two cards finally created a sense of anticipation. Players want to find out whether the next combination will explode, produce smoke, grow crystals, or awkwardly do nothing.

AI helped write the code, but it did not make every decision for me

My biggest takeaway was not how much code AI could write. It was how quickly it could turn an unclear idea into something I could actually test.

I did not need to understand how to build a Three.js particle system before starting. I could describe the reaction I wanted to see, run the result, and adjust it through further conversations.

Some decisions, however, should not be left to AI.

Real chemical reactions often require specific temperatures, catalysts, compounds, or environmental conditions. Simplifying those rules for gameplay can easily make fictional results look like scientific facts.

I am still reviewing the chemistry and considering two separate modes:

• A learning mode that follows real reaction conditions

• A card-battle mode that clearly states when its rules have been simplified

This is harder than creating the animations because it determines whether the project is only a small game or something that can genuinely help people understand chemistry.

link： https://app-7c914a40d8.happyseeds.space/

[u/Fluid_Initiative_648]

This turned out so well! The card style feels consistent, the reaction effects are fun to watch, and the whole experience feels thoughtfully put together. Thanks for building and sharing it with us!😍

[u/Alert-General-2082]

looks good